Sunday, September 5, 2010

Random Thoughts #12: Ode to the Mosin Nagant.

Hey folks, 12-Gauge Chimp here with a new edition of Random Thoughts.

On one of the web forums I post on, there has been some bashing of the Mosin Nagant series of rifles. Some are saying it's the worst rifle out there, while others are saying the guns are ugly and shoot horribly. While it may be true that the Mosin doesn't have the aesthetic appeal of the Mauser or Model 1903 Springfield rifles, it gets the job done. The Russians designed this gun to be dead simple to use and maintain because the troops who would use them weren't exactly used to using a gun. Guns were heavily restricted by the Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution and even before then, so unlike folks in the US who grew up with a rifle in their hands, most Russians had no idea what to do when they were given a Mosin and told to shoot Wehrmacht soldiers.

I like the Mosin Nagant rifles. While I have other guns in my collection that vastly out shoot my Mosin, it's the one rifle I keep going back to when I want to have fun at the range. The one thing that pisses me off is folks keep comparing the Mosin to the famed Mauser rifles. A Mosin is not the same as a Mauser so stop comparing them to each other. A Mosin will never be a Mauser and vice versa. It's really starting to irritate me. It's almost like the WW2 version of AK-47 vs. AR-15, both rifles are good for what they are and both have their own sets of advantages and disadvantages.

Either gun is good, whether you like the Mosin or the Mauser. They both are dead reliable and almost idiot-proof when it comes to maintaining them.

I'm going to put this to a vote and ask you folks which rifle you like. If you wouldn't mind, please leave a comment with your preference between the Mosin Nagant and the Mauser series of rifles. If you like both rifles like I do, then put that in your comment. It's not a popularity contest or anything I just want to get your opinions on the matter.

That'll do it for this edition of Random Thoughts. As always, this is 12-Gauge Chimp signing off.

2 comments:

I like, and own both. I've never agreed with the assessment that the M-N is "ugly". Personally, I find them elegant, though in a primitive kind of way, particularly the old 91's and 91/30's with the long, almost tapered fore-end. I think the Finish versions are a bit blocky looking, but they pretty much close the book on any arguments about accuracy - they're as accurate as any military Mauser.

BUT, if I'm looking for something that makes me feel confident at 600 yards (which I'm working up to) it's a K31, a rifle which I would NOT want to give to a Soviet conscript who never saw a rifle before getting drafted, and never cleaned one afterward!

I have to agree that the Mosin wouldn't be my first choice for long range shooting either. The K31 is a fantastic rifle for long range shooting and I often wonder what would've happened had the Soviets been able to properly train their troops and had the time to develop a better rifle instead of just giving their soldiers what was basically an outdated rifle and telling them who to shoot.

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I originally started this site back in 2009 as a way to share my experiences in the world of firearms and knives with the world. I mostly write about guns and knives with the occasional look at places in the industry that I think would appeal to my readers.
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